The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-02-05
Report of Receivers Spencer and Gill

| Report of Receivers Spencer and Gill
| mor-Financal and Working Condition of
| the Maryland Central Railroad.-Messrs.
SamI Spencer and William Gilmor, receivers,
have made their report to the Judges of the Cir
cult Court for Baltimore county of the operations
of the Maryland Central Railroad for the year
ended December 81, 1886. The financial state
ment shows the cash receipts from January 10,
when the present receivers were appointed, were
$131 57435, and the cash expenditures $3.50, 209.-
80, leaving balance of $1,953.14 Nc interest
was paid on the funded Indebtedness of $780, 900
first mortgage and 100000 second mortgage
bonds. All liabilities on account of receivers GER
tifcates and interest thereon and on account of
car trust notes outstanding at the appointment of
the receivers have been discharged, and none
others created during the year, all current
obligations having been met in cash. The earn.
ings of the road were $l26,540.27, of which from
tonnage there were $40, 1889; passengers, $72,-
1919; express, $2,6O3.95; mail, $2,410.9S, and
miscellaneous, $l43.27. The working expenses
were 500, 3I1.59, in which betterments &C., were
included, leaving the earnings more than expenses
26,22S6S, an increase in the net earnings $13,
1925 over the year 1885.
The report says: "The expenses in all depart
ments, except those involving the maintenance
and improvement of the physical condition of the
property or plant, have been materially reduced,
and in these a thorough reorganization has been
made looking to more efficient work. The result
is seen in the increased gross and net earnings in
the improved condition of the roadbed and equip
ment and in the promptness and regularity with
which the work of transportation has been per-
formed Nearly eight miles of road have been
partially ballasted with stone. Permanent en-
bankment has been substituted for the trestle at
TurnbulPs, and the filing in of the Notre Dame
trestle has been completed during the year. The
roadbed has been thoroughly ditched many of the
cuts have been widened and the wet cuts put in
good order. The south abutment of the Deer
Creek bridge, owing to its dsgracefuy faulty
construction, had to be taken down and entirely
rebuilt. Additional sidings haze been laid at
Belair. waiting shed at Blithewood and
freight-rOom at Belair have been built. Steel
rails have been purchased for the proposed new
tracks in the yard at North avenue. Four excur-
sion coaches have been thoroughly repaired and
reftted at Wilmington, and cushion seats have
been substituted for the old ones, to meet the pre-
ferences of the passengers. All tracks, buildings,
trestes and other structures belonging to the COM
pany have been fully maintained throughout the
year, and considerable quantities of stone have
been quarried by the regular forces during the
winter, ready for distribution for ballast in the
spring"
The equipment of the road now consists of:
Locomotives, 6 !; passenger cars, Is; combined
cars, 1 baggage and express, 3; box, U.s. Condo
las or flats, SO; stock, 81 caboose, 1. The sum of
$l5,709.05 was expended for betterments and i'm
provements. The enlargement of the yard facii-
ties at North Avenue Station and the construction
of a new passenger building now in progress.
An additional locomotive is needed now, and the
passenger-car equipment will soon mead thorough
repair, and some addition will be necessary to the
freight car equipment.
The report further says: "The most important
and pressing question in connection with future
expenditures is that of the trestles. As is we'll
known, the structures are numerous, owing to the
temporary economies practced at the time of the
construction of the road. While they are in per-
fectly safe condition, large expenditures will in
the near future be absolutely necessary in order
to renew them or to replace them with permanent
embankments. Wherever the latter plan can be
adopted at reasonable cost, of course it will be
wisest to do so. The receivers have caused
careful estimate to be made of what will probably
be necessary in this connection for the next two
years, which they place at S35.921.15 of which
$2S,091.90 is for filling and ST. 1926 for repairs.
Those trestles included in the above estimate for
filling are of hemlock timber, which necessitates
either complete rebuilding, with more durable
material, or the substitution Of embankments.
In such cases it is clearly best to fill in and the
estimate has been made accordingly. Wherever
the material used in the original construction was
white pine, partial repairs will answer the pur-
pose for years to come and will be less
pensve, and therefore this will be adopted.
Still the process of filing in will have to 60 on for
several years the life of the structures is grad
ually exhausted"